Friction shock-absorbing mechanism



Dec. 22, 1925- 1,566,685

,J. F. dcoNNbR FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM Filed Jar 19. 1925 2Sheets-Shed 1- 4| I II II Wifizeaaas Inp/Lfar Jafin fflruzar Dec. 22,925. 1,566,685

- J. F. O'CONNOR v FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM 2 Sh'ee ts-Sheet 2Filed Jan. 19. 1925 III ullll @M wMM/AV/ Wifmfiifij JAIL I Patented Dec.22, 1925.

UNITED STATES- JOHN F. oooimon, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; assren'oa,aravmsnnassremvmnrs} T 'w. H. MINER, 11m, -AGORP 0RATI01\T. oFrELAwARE.

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. Ap plieationi fi led January 19, 1923. eaagathers;-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN. F. OCONNOR', a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have'invented ajcertain new and usefulImprovement in Friction Shock-Absorbing Mechanisms, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, concise, and exactdesoription, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification. I I This invention relates to improvements in frictionshock absorbing mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to provide .15 a high capac'ityfrictionshock absorbing mechanism especially adapted for, railway ,draftriggings wherein the friction elements are so designed as to produce adifferential j action during the compression stroke.

A more specific object ofthe invention is to provide a friction draftgear of the clifferential type comprising a follower, a central wedgeco-acting with auxiliary wedges, and a set of friction shoes co-actingwith the auxiliary wedges and with inwardly tapering friction surfacesof the friction shell and having friction surfaces co-act-ing with thefollower. V

Other objects of the inventionwill -more clearly appear from thedescription hereinafter following. v i

In the drawings forming .a part of this specification Fig. 1 is ahorizontal l-ongitudinal sectional view of a portion of a railway draftrigging showing my'improvements in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is anouter endview of the shock absorbing mechanism 'shown in Fig. 1, withthe front follower omitted. Fig. 3 is a'vertical trans-' verse sectionalview of the shock absorbing mechanism, corresponding substantially tothesection line 3 -3 of-Fig. 1 And Figs. 4 and 5 are detailedperspective views of an outer wedge friction shoe and an auxiliary wedgerespectively, employed in connection with myimproved draft gear. 7 t

In said drawings, l010 denote channel draft sills of'a car'under'fram'e,to theinner faces of which are securedfront'stop lugs 11;and rear stop lugs 12. .Aportion of a draw-baris indicated at '13, thesame being operatively associated witha hooded cast yoke 14 within whichis disposedthe shock absorbing mechanism proper and a front fol-10wer.15. The yoke and, the parts therebyja detachable saddle plate 16.v

The'improved shock absorbing mechanism proper, as show n'comprisesbroadly: a com bined friction shelland spring cage casting within are'supported in operative position H i A; a spring resistanceB; two outerwedge friction shoes G C; "a'central wedge two auxiliary 'wedges- EE';and" a retaining bolt @The casting A is provided at its front or outerend with a friction'shell proper defined by top and bottom walls 17 17and side wa1l's1'8 on 'their'innersides with friction surfaces 'l9l9,'which converge slightly inwardly of the shell. v the casting A' isreduced in size'to'provide a spring cage 20 or casing to. accommodateand center the spring resistance B." At its rear end the castingA isformed with an integral verticalwall 21 extended laterally to engage 18,the latterbeing provided 'Rearwardly of the shell proper,

with the stop lugs 12 and act as the rear followerof the mechanism.

The two outer'wedge' friction shoes C@ are of like construction, butoppositely arranged. "Each shoe C is formed with a front,transverselyextending, flat friction surface 22, a side friction surface 23 and aninner wedge friction surface 24,, said surfaces 22, 23 and 24frictionally co -operating .with the front follower 15, shell frictionsurface 19 and an auxiliary wedge E, respectively. j Each frictionshoeC-is provided at theinner end thereof with a stop lug25 loc'atedcentrally of and projecting outwardly from the friction surface 23thereof; Each lug 25 is slidingly accommodated in a slot26 in theadjacent friction surface 19of the shell and is limited in it'soutwardimovement by engagement with ashoulder 27 at the forward end: ofthe slot 26. Means is thus provided for v limiting the outward movementof'the wedge friction shoes with reference totheshell The central wedgeblock D isiformed on the frontside thereof with a flat bearing surface29 which engages with the inner face of the follower 15; On its innerside,the wedge block is formed with inwardly converging faces 30symmetrically disposed 'vvith relav tion to the center line of themechanism. I The two auxiliary wedges are/of like construction, but areoppositely arranged, each having a flat rear face 31 provided with asegmental recess '32. Each of t faces 33 which co-act with the wedge Dex- I tend at a relatively keener"angle"wit'h refera pair 6f outwardlyconverging face's 33 and 34cdisposed on opposite sides thereofandcoacting withvone-of thet'ztace's '30 of'thewed'ge and the wedgefac'e 24c of tlfieadjacenu'wedge i friction shoe 0. a

As clearly shown in*Fig '1, thewe'dge ence -to the longitudinal axis ofthegear-than thefa'c'es "34, which 'c'oga'et' with the shoes '0,

the wedge faces???) and 34'beingfpreferably inelined at angles ofapproximately 3091a) 45 speetively with referenceto said longiaxis ofthe gear, 7 v; I

' B comprisesja rela- The spri'ng resistance 7 tiv'ely heavy outer coand a; r'el- I end in :the hollow boss and at its' fo rward r end withinthe reeess"38'iprovidd ,ln' the movement of the latter at'ive'ly lightfinner coiled spring 36. The outer spring is; interposed between therear wall 'Ql of the cagjeandthe' faces 31 ofthe auxiliary wedges andcentered by the inwardly projecting hollow boss 37 on t he rear Vl]il1.2lOffS3,ld cage. The inner;spring'36 has its. rear end abutting the endof the boss '37 and its outer end seated in the segmental recesses '32of the auxiliary wedges fThe retainer bolt is'ancho'red at its innertion not only between the shoes-and the shell,

bu'twalso between z'the-shoes and the outer follower-15. The lateralinward movement of :the wedge friction shoes C also :produces a difleren tial wedge-action, causing the a-uXi-lv iary wedges, in additionto' their'inward movement with the' shoes and the, wedge block to'travel inwardly relatively to said shoes andwedgefbloek on the wedgefaces Qt andi30, thereby effecting anadditional compression of-i thespring resistance. During lfthis inwa-rd -mov'ement the auxiliary wedgesalso; gradually approach each other,

idueto their :movement on the wedge faoes"30 'fi'W'heni the iactu'ating;pressure is removed, the parts are returned to normal "position asclearly shown in Fig. the wedgefridti'on fshoesQ-lnoving outwardly untilthe stjop'S 25 engage with the shoulders, whereupon; movement er l thewedge, shoes i'sj-a' lrrested; The wedge 'blolik" moves outwardly untilits movement is arrested engagementwith' thenu't on th'e'retain'er bolt'F, the

auxiliary Wedges being held in contact with 't'h'e' co-acting wedgefaces-0f thewedgeblock Dz-and therwed ge friction shoes C.

-By making the angle'on the wedge faces betwe'enthe shoes and theauxiliary wedges relatively blunt with reference to the longitudinal'axis of the gear, quick release of the wedge system is effected uponremoval of the compressive forces,' and the outward move ment e'ffthe'wedge, friction sh'o'e siand positiye returnof theipartsassured, i j

' From th Preceding-jdescription taken. connection with the drawings, itwill/heavident that the wedgei friction" shoes :and' the wedge blockwill always be restored tonormalflp'ositi'on and that the: springresistance will alwayshold the auxiliary we ges incontact with'the'wedge friction shoes and the wedgev block, whereby all wear ofthe"-frictio'n and wedge faces is "compensated for. v

1 a have herein "shown and described "what" I now consider a: preferredmanner fof c'ar'rying out my lnventron, but'the same is merely Villustrative and I "contemplate all" changes and "modificationsthat-comewithin the seeps J 056 the claims appended hereto,

I claim: is f A 1. In" a friction shock absorbing mecha; nisin, the"combinationfwitha 7 friction "shell having "opposed interior frictionsurfaces converging sligl'itly' inwardly of the --mechanism'; 'of aspring resistance; an'ou'ter "follower, said ifo-llowerand shellbeingmovab'lefirelatively to each other; wedge" friction shoes engagedby said follower andw' movable longitudinally inwardly of the shell "O11thefriction surfaces thereof; a wedge oressure transmitting'membermovable with said a es follower; and auxiliary wedges havin g' wedgingengagement 1 with "said *pressure transmitting member and saidwedge-shoes.

nism, 'the combination with "africti'on shell tic having "longitudinallyextending pppose'd slightly inwardly coi'iverging "friction surfaces.;of an outer follower; said follower-and shell being movable toward andfrom Teach other wedge mum shoes having jfriic'tion surfaces"co-operating with said fshe'll ti'on surfaces, said'shoes each alsohaving a {an inner wedge face, said shoes'abutfing said follower and*having sliding movement laterally 'on' the "samepa 'c'entral 'pressuretransmitting member movable with said follower, said member having wedgefaces 7 on the opposite side's thereof; auxiliary wedges 1 interposedbetween :"said a pressure transmitting memberand thewedge frictionIsho'es; said I auxiliary wedges each having inner andouter'wedge faces''cd peratingrrespective-lfy'with oneof the faCGSfOfSa'ld PIfGS- sure itansrni ttin member thmwdge face of one o'f'said shoes and aspring'resistance wedges.

.3. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with ashell having longitudinally disposed, interior opposed, slightlyinwardly con-verging friction surco-acting with said auxiliaryv faces;of a spring resistance; an outer folthe gear, and the faces of each saidauxiliary lower; friction shoes having longitudinally disposed frictionsurfaces co-operating with the shell friction surfaces, said shoesbearing directly on the outer follower; means on said shoes adapted toengage the shell for limiting the outward movement of said wedgefriction shoes relatively to said shell; a wedge pressure transmittingmeans coacting with said outer follower; and auxiliary wedges interposedbetween said wedge pressure transmitting means and said friction shoes,said shoes and auxiliary wedges having co-operating wedge faces.

4. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with afriction shell having inwardly converging friction surfaces; of a springresistance; an outer follower; friction shoes having friction surfacesco-operable with said shell and follower, each of said shoes also havinga wedge face; a wedge pressure transmitting member engaging saidfollower; auxiliary wedges co-acting with said wedge pressuretransmitting member and the wedge faces of said shoes; and means forlimiting the outward movement of said wedge pressure transmitting memberand additional means on said shell engageable with said shoes forlimiting outward movement of the shoes with reference to the shell.

5. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with afriction shell having inwardly converging friction surfaces; wedgefriction shoes co-operable with said shell and follower; a wedgepressure ing wedge faces on opposite sides co-acting with said wedgepressure transmitting member and said wedge shoes, the wedge faces ofeach said auxiliary wedges co-acting with said wedge shoes being at ablunt angle with reference to the longitudinal axis of wedges coactingwith the wedge pressure transmitting means being at a relatively keenervanglejwith reference to the longitudinal axis of the gear; and meansfor limiting the outward movementof said wedge pressure transmittingmember and 'Sflld wedge friction shoes relatively to the shell.

6. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with afriction shell having interior friction surfaces converging slightlyinwardly of the mechanism; of a spring resistance; an outer follower;wedge friction shoes co-operable with said follower, said shoes havingfriction surfaces co-operating with saidshell friction surfaces and,each shoe having an inner wedge face; a pressure transmitting membermovable with said, follower, said member having wedge faces; andauxiliary wedges each having a wedge face co-acting with the wedge faceof one of saidshoes and a wedge face co-acting with one of the faces ofsaid pressure transmitting member, one of said wedge faces of eachauxiliary wedge being disposed at a relatively blunt angle withreference to the longitudinal axis of the mechanism and the other wedgeface thereof being disposed at a relatively keen angle to said axis.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 17th day of January, 1923.

JOHN F. OOONNOR.

